Light a candle
January 18, 2010
But he who hates his brother is in the
darkness and walks in the darkness, and does
not know where he is going, because the
darkness has blinded his eyes. John's
First Epistle, The New Testament
It is no use walking anywhere to preach
unless our walking is our preaching.
St. Francis
Could a greater miracle take place than for
us to look through each other's eyes for an
instant? Henry David Thoreau
Those who hurt, are angry and have nothing
left to give, they are my meeting place with
God. Dorothy Day
Have you heard of the Church
of the Exceptional? (A
non-denominational, interracial ministry
devoted to ministering to the physically and
mentally handicapped in the area around
Rutherford County, NC.) In 1974, then
Governor Jimmy Carter and Dr. Norman Vincent
Peale were invited to present a Guideposts
award to the Congregation, where thousands
had assembled in a municipal center in
Georgia. Before
the speeches were delivered, the liturgy
called for the
lighting of the main altar candle.
A middle-aged woman with Down syndrome, walked slowly but proudly down the center aisle carrying a lighted taper. The pastor followed closely, to offer assistance. They reached the altar, but despite repeated efforts, the candle would not light. The crowd held their breath, and Carter recalls a sense of embarrassment that welled up inside. The pastor moved forward to help, but she shook her head, and continued to try. Finally, the candle is lit, and the crowd erupts into applause. But the brightest thing in the huge auditorium was the woman's face, which glowed with happiness. Jimmy Carter writes that he doubts whether anyone that night remembers his words. But every life was affected and touched by this woman's faith and determination. (Adapted from Jimmy Carter, Our Endangered Values)
"I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love." (Jimmy Carter, after his encounter with The Church of the Exceptional.)
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think about the little things--the profound determination to light just one candle--that really do make all the difference.
Yes. Of course I know that there are overwhelming problems. And many are far beyond the scope of my understanding or comprehension. (Even now, as I watch--currently on the TV screen--the images of men, women and children in Haiti. For those who want to help, I have friends connected with these fine organizations.)
savethechildren
Pa rtnersinHealth
I know that many of our global problems are complicated by political nuances, but I grow very weary of our notion that solutions begin by shouting one another down. It is no surprise that the weight of the world's malaise--complete with political-pundit-noise-pollution--adds stress to our own daily quandaries.
But here's the deal: it's too easy to fuel the fire of misunderstanding and intolerance and small-mindedness when I witness all of this through the lens of my own labels. I can literally imagine myself sitting on that platform, thinking, "Why in heaven's name are we letting this woman light the candle? Is there not an easier way? Is there not someone more qualified?"
I do know that when we label, we tend to exclude, rather than include.
You Believe WHAT?
What are THEY doing here?
What can I receive from THEM?
Why should I help THEM?
More often than not, Tion Medon's counsel to Obi wan kanobi on Utapau (for Star Wars aficionados) is right on. "There is no war here unless you brought it with you."
I read this quote, from a pastor, speaking from the floor at a Southern Baptist convention, "I believe the Bible. Jesus believed the Bible. Southern Baptists believe the Bible. It's been said that we've got room for the most conservative and the most liberal in the southern Baptist convention. But brother, I say that's too much room."
I can tell you that we were very skilled at that kind of intolerance in the church of my youth. We knew exactly who God didn't care for. And we made no bones about naming names. (We never called it gossip, of course. We called it "Prayer Concerns.") You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones who would burn for eternity. What I don't get is how it made us feel so, well, superior. Maybe, we were afraid that we weren't necessarily on God's good side either.
What I am learning is this: Perhaps the very people I exclude, are the ones who carry the light--the candle--that will allow me to see. That will allow me to see the Grace of God. And the expansive reach of God's acceptance. To every single one of us.
Jesus tells us that the "kingdom of God doesn't need to wait until something else happens. No, it is available and among you now. In other words, invite people of all nations, races, classes, and religions to participate in this network of dynamic, interactive relationships with God and all God's creation!" (Kudos to Brian McLaren and his writing.)
Whether I like it or not, it seems that the kingdom of God will be radically and scandalously inclusive.
Think of that. God loves infidels, idiots and heathens. Now that, that is one radical hospitality. That is truly a Church of the Exceptional.
Thoughts for your week ahead.
If I look at the mass I will never act, if I look at the one, I will. Mother Teresa
The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. William Coffin
Psychologists have a word which is probably used more frequently than any other word in modern psychology. It is the word "maladjusted." Now in a sense all of us must live the well adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities. But there are some things in our social system to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I suggest that you too ought to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to the viciousness of mob-rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the evils of segregation and the crippling effects of discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic inequalities of an economic system, which take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to become adjusted to the madness of militarism and the self-defeating method of physical violence. I call upon you to be maladjusted. The challenge to you is to be maladjusted--as maladjusted as the prophet Amos, who in the midst of the injustices of his day, could cry out in words that echo across the centuries, "Let judgment run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream;" as maladjusted as Lincoln, who had the vision to see that this nation could not survive half slave and half free; as maladjusted as Jefferson, who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery could cry out, in words lifted to cosmic proportions, "All men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." As maladjusted as Jesus who dared to dream a dream of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men. The world is in desperate need of such maladjustment. (Martin Luther King, April, 1957)
For almost daily updates, follow my blog --
blog.terry hershey.com
A middle-aged woman with Down syndrome, walked slowly but proudly down the center aisle carrying a lighted taper. The pastor followed closely, to offer assistance. They reached the altar, but despite repeated efforts, the candle would not light. The crowd held their breath, and Carter recalls a sense of embarrassment that welled up inside. The pastor moved forward to help, but she shook her head, and continued to try. Finally, the candle is lit, and the crowd erupts into applause. But the brightest thing in the huge auditorium was the woman's face, which glowed with happiness. Jimmy Carter writes that he doubts whether anyone that night remembers his words. But every life was affected and touched by this woman's faith and determination. (Adapted from Jimmy Carter, Our Endangered Values)
"I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love." (Jimmy Carter, after his encounter with The Church of the Exceptional.)
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think about the little things--the profound determination to light just one candle--that really do make all the difference.
Yes. Of course I know that there are overwhelming problems. And many are far beyond the scope of my understanding or comprehension. (Even now, as I watch--currently on the TV screen--the images of men, women and children in Haiti. For those who want to help, I have friends connected with these fine organizations.)
savethechildren
Pa rtnersinHealth
I know that many of our global problems are complicated by political nuances, but I grow very weary of our notion that solutions begin by shouting one another down. It is no surprise that the weight of the world's malaise--complete with political-pundit-noise-pollution--adds stress to our own daily quandaries.
But here's the deal: it's too easy to fuel the fire of misunderstanding and intolerance and small-mindedness when I witness all of this through the lens of my own labels. I can literally imagine myself sitting on that platform, thinking, "Why in heaven's name are we letting this woman light the candle? Is there not an easier way? Is there not someone more qualified?"
I do know that when we label, we tend to exclude, rather than include.
You Believe WHAT?
What are THEY doing here?
What can I receive from THEM?
Why should I help THEM?
More often than not, Tion Medon's counsel to Obi wan kanobi on Utapau (for Star Wars aficionados) is right on. "There is no war here unless you brought it with you."
I read this quote, from a pastor, speaking from the floor at a Southern Baptist convention, "I believe the Bible. Jesus believed the Bible. Southern Baptists believe the Bible. It's been said that we've got room for the most conservative and the most liberal in the southern Baptist convention. But brother, I say that's too much room."
I can tell you that we were very skilled at that kind of intolerance in the church of my youth. We knew exactly who God didn't care for. And we made no bones about naming names. (We never called it gossip, of course. We called it "Prayer Concerns.") You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones who would burn for eternity. What I don't get is how it made us feel so, well, superior. Maybe, we were afraid that we weren't necessarily on God's good side either.
What I am learning is this: Perhaps the very people I exclude, are the ones who carry the light--the candle--that will allow me to see. That will allow me to see the Grace of God. And the expansive reach of God's acceptance. To every single one of us.
Jesus tells us that the "kingdom of God doesn't need to wait until something else happens. No, it is available and among you now. In other words, invite people of all nations, races, classes, and religions to participate in this network of dynamic, interactive relationships with God and all God's creation!" (Kudos to Brian McLaren and his writing.)
Whether I like it or not, it seems that the kingdom of God will be radically and scandalously inclusive.
Think of that. God loves infidels, idiots and heathens. Now that, that is one radical hospitality. That is truly a Church of the Exceptional.
Thoughts for your week ahead.
If I look at the mass I will never act, if I look at the one, I will. Mother Teresa
The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. William Coffin
Psychologists have a word which is probably used more frequently than any other word in modern psychology. It is the word "maladjusted." Now in a sense all of us must live the well adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities. But there are some things in our social system to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I suggest that you too ought to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to the viciousness of mob-rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the evils of segregation and the crippling effects of discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic inequalities of an economic system, which take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to become adjusted to the madness of militarism and the self-defeating method of physical violence. I call upon you to be maladjusted. The challenge to you is to be maladjusted--as maladjusted as the prophet Amos, who in the midst of the injustices of his day, could cry out in words that echo across the centuries, "Let judgment run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream;" as maladjusted as Lincoln, who had the vision to see that this nation could not survive half slave and half free; as maladjusted as Jefferson, who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery could cry out, in words lifted to cosmic proportions, "All men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." As maladjusted as Jesus who dared to dream a dream of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men. The world is in desperate need of such maladjustment. (Martin Luther King, April, 1957)
For almost daily updates, follow my blog --
blog.terry hershey.com
Poems / Prayers
They could be total outsiders and still perform rites that evoked the Gospel messages of healing, new life, shared food, shared grief, shared peace. They included anyone who, like those first unqualified disciples, got a taste of Jesus and followed him. As Paul Fromberg had said to me once, when I asked him how he had stuck with Christianity when so many wanted to kick him out for being gay, "honey, I know who my shepherd is." That growing, changing, unruly flock of Jesus' was the only force that could reform the church: When you let the wrong people in, the promise of change could finally come true.
Sara Miles,Take This Bread
The truths of the spirit are proved not by reasoning about them,
Or finding explanation of them, but only by acting upon them.
Their life is dependent upon what we do about them.
Mercy, gentleness, forgiveness, patience;
if we do not show them they will cease to be.
Upon us depends the reality of God here on Earth today.
Edith Hamilton (1867 - 1963)
O God
we are one with you
Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection.
O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you; and we love you with our whole being, because our being is in your being, our spirit is rooted in your spirit.
Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes you present to the world, and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love.
Love has overcome.
Love is victorious.
Amen.
News and Notes
NEWS and UPDATES
The Best Spiritual Books of 2009 -- By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat spiritualityandpractice.books
Books to Nourish Your Soul from 2009 beliefnet.com/2009
Cathleen Falsani's new year column, syndicated via Religion News Service, of the most intriguing thoughts and prayers from 2009.
suntimes.falsani
Speaking of resolutions. Here a great New Year idea. Starting January 10 and continuing for 30 days (NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP), Loyola Press will send you an email pause reminder -- a powerful pause for each day. Gentle reminders as a way to trigger those parts of our soul that can stop and listen and pay attention.
There have been some gracious and heartfelt reviews for The Power of Pause. I am grateful. But as you know, the more the merrier. In other words, reviews on Amazon really do make a difference. IF you have read The Power of Pause, I would be honored. . .really. . .if you would jot a few thoughts to pass the word.
amazon.com/Power-Pause
BE INSPIRED THIS WEEK
The full version of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech. Comments disabled since many of them were hateful and racist. You can discuss the video here: mychurch.org/blog
youtube.MLKspeech
"We Shall Overcome," originally derived its lyrics from Charles Tindley's gospel song "I'll Overcome Some Day" (1900), and was the opening and closing melody from the 19th-century spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me." The song predates the civil war. Springsteen's interpretation of the song that activist and folk musician, Pete Seeger. Spingsteen hired a group of lesser-known musicians and recorded this piece.
youtube.overcome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--FrplvKM3A&feature=related
NEW Terry Videos --- Let your light shine (Shine I and Shine II)
youtube.com/TerryHersheyMedia
FAVORITES from last week:
A compilation of clips of salsa dancing, from a variety of movies. The song is Rebellion by Joe Arroyo. This will make you glad to be alive. And will make your Baptist grandmother cry.
youtube.SALSA
Rest in the Garden. New Winter Photos from Terry's garden.
Now archived on Zenfolio. Check them out, and enjoy.
Terry's garden
RESOURCES TO HELP US PAUSE
Terry's idea for the day
youtube.dandelions
1. Buy a small notebook. Each day, make a
notation using this sentence, "I never
noticed that before."
2. Go to your garage. Find something that
you have moved at least three times. Give it
away. To a friend, St. Vincent de Paul or
charity of your choice.
3. Paint one ceiling in your house the color
of the sky, complete with clouds.
4. Write a letter to someone you love. With
real paper and real pen and envelope and
stamp. Have the first sentence begin, "I'm
glad you are in my life because."
5. Go to the movies in your pajamas.
6. In the middle of a meeting, laugh out
loud. When people ask why, say, "My Doctor
ordered it for my health."
1. NEW Terry videos with pause
reminders
Find them on the new Terry
Hershey YouTube channel. Please pass
the word.
2. NEW Pause DVD.
dvd-becoming-more
3. THE POWER OF
PAUSE: BECOMING MORE BY DOING
LESS,
power-of-pause.htm
Any
questions call 800-524-5370.
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